Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Yes, my friends I've given into the evil lure of My Space! I had a huge batch of emails forwarded to me by my publishers and I realise that some of you are replying to posts I've made here, and even entering some of the competitions I've run, by email to the books with bite addy. That doesn't actually work so well. If you've received my long 'bounce-back' email you'll know that I can't reply to emails for a variety of reasons.

But I am aware that blogspot can be a bit problematic. Because I was getting so much comment spam, I had to set up this blog so that only people with blogspot membership could reply. Now I'm passionate about blogging but I realise that some of you aren't but it also means that I can't leave comments on your blogs because you've already deleted them.

So, my cunning solution to all of this is to have a My Space page. I'm guessing that a lot of you are on there too and it's much easier to leave comments and Friend people. All the entries I make here will now be cross-posted to My Space and I would love, love, love it if you could come and Friend me and I will Friend you back. The MySpace blog will only be open to people who are on my Friends Space but I think it's a much cooler, user-friendly place than maybe blogspot is.

So, come on. I have to get more Friends that my RL friends, some of whom are in bands!

In other business, I'm sorry but there are no plans for me to travel around the country doing book signings. I'm way low down on the famous author's ladder and it would cost more to stick me on a train, then the booksellers would get back from people buying books for me to sign. It's a sad but true state of affairs. I will be doing a whole day at the Birmingham Young Readers Week on Tuesday 23rd, so if you're from Brum and your school wants to know if you're interested in any events going on, sign up! I'm taking part in a debate about text speak (so very against it!) in the morning and then in the afternoon I'm giving a talk about what inspires me. Y'know, the usual, The OC blah blah blah, My So-Called Life blah blah blah. You can pretty much guess what I'll say!

Also, illnevertell, I might be able to do an interview via email. Possibly. Have you got an URL for the e-zine?

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Finally I'm home from my travels and hopefully staying put in London for a while so I can get on with the book writing. I really hope to be able to tell you officially and properly about my new project soon. I'm very excited about it.

Paris was wonderful. It was a real thrill to go to FNAC (the French version of Borders) and see Diary Of A Crush (or Journal d'un Coup de Foudre as it's known over there) on the shelves, as well as meeting my French publishers and some readers at the Salon du Livre event. Not so fun was throwing up in a Parisian street - I suffer from really bad food allergies to some quite obscure ingredients and after being taken out for l'experience gastronomique, I was knocked for six. It was beyond embarassing.

At the moment I have a friend from LA staying and it's been wonderful to see London as a tourist. We went on the Highgate Cemetary Tour (which is very near where I live and if any of you ever come to London, I implore you to wander around the overgrown grounds and marvel at the magnificient mausoleums.) We also shopped because a week without a visit to Dorothy Perkins (it's the new Topshop) is a week wasted. Then tomorrow we're off for a bit of culture and will visit the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. But mostly today I slumped in Carphone Warehouse, signing half my life away so I could get my hot hands on the new Nokia Chic phone because it's gold and it has pretty flowers on it and I'm such a girl.

Anyway, from next week, there should be the resumption of normal service round these parts. But while I've been away, you lot have certainly been busy! What a veritable slew of comments. So, please try and bear with me as I reply to them here and I will be trying to leave a few comments in your blogs over the next few days too.

So, firstly thanks to everyone who've left comments about Let's Get Lost especially Ellie (I'm afraid I haven't got time to give you any specific writing tips but if you have a poke through my blog archives, I did write a long post on this very topic.) Thanks also to Beth, the eloquent miss_teen_angst and Michelle and yes, the film Virgin Suicides, which came out quite a few years ago now, is based on the book of the same name and actually you've inspired me to re-watch it this weekend. And extra special thanks to Abby - I'm always on the lookout for new bands to fall in love with so I will definitely check out both your blog and your recs. And re: Dylan? They do? Then my work here is done!

And now the results of the film cast competition! Thank you to everyone who entered. Your responses made me smile and in a couple of instances, actually squeak in horror! For what it's worth, I'm impressed at your choices as I couldn't think of anyone who'd I cast as everytime the subject comes up I have such a clear idea of what my characters look like, I get quite side-tracked. The only person that was based on a character from TV was Isabel's Dad who was inspired by the dour and dark Wesley Wyndam-Pryce from the TV show, Angel, but from the later seasons when he was all conflicted and stubbly. Just so you know! Anyway, the winners, after much deliberation are...

PennyLane

I really was taken with the notion of Emily Browning (who I loved in the Lemony Snickert movie) as Molly and I was re-watching an episode of The OC this lunch-time and swooning over the actor who plays Trey!

Beyourowngirl

Again, I adore Evan Rachel Wood for not fitting the mould of most young Hollywood actresses, James Franco is possibly too good-looking to play Smith but he is a fox and you got extra points for Michelle Trachtenberg as Ice Princess is one of my guilty pleasures!

If you haven't left me your email addy, then leave me a comment so I can get your address and limited edition LGL vests will be winging their way to you.

I am going to run another competition with more vest giveaways in the next week or so, so don't be disheartened. And thanks again, to everyone who entered.

Now I think dinner is almost ready and I want to watch Veronica Mars so I bid you au revoir!

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Just poking my head round the door before I leave to catch the Eurostar to say hi. LA was a blast and I'll post about that soon but I just wanted to remind les jeunes filles francais that I'll be doing a signing on Saturday morning at the Salon de Livre in Paris, please come and say, "Bonjour!"

And keep those competition entries coming. So far your answers have thrilled and horrified me in equal measure!

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Writing this at twice the speed of light because I need to jump in the shower and wash off the gym sweat. I have a friend coming over this evening and there will be fish and chips with so much vinegar on them that it will hurt to eat them. There'll be some DVDs, possibly It Happened One Night and lots of wine, as I'm well over the legal drinking age! Ah, sleepovers never stop being fun.

So, before I say anything else, I just wanted to say a big thank you to HeartsOnFire and i'llnevertell for the beautiful comments about Let's Get Lost that you left on my last entry. I was deeply touched and also blushed a little. As I keep saying, it's a hugely personal book for me so I really appreciate it when it strikes such a resonant note with other people.

Now, I've been promising you a competition and I always try to keep my promises. My publishers have given me three very limited edition Let's Get Lost vests to give away. They're black, rather on the small side, with the cover image on them. To win one leave a comment telling me who you'd cast if you were making a movie from one of my books. Not just the boy and girl but any of the supporting characters too. Think about it because the prizes will go for the most original or interesting answers. And nobody is allowed to say that Adam Brody should play Smith! And don't forget to leave an email addy so I know where to contact you.

I'm afraid that I might not be able to update next Saturday as I'll be in LA interviewing someone for ELLE UK. But I might see if I can get access to a computer so one of my blog entries can be from somewhere glamorous! Then I'm in Paris after that. It all sounds impossibly cool I know, but not so much really. Especially as I spend most of my time in old jeans and a holey jumpers tapping away on my computer instead of going out and having adventures.

I'm now hard at work on my first book in a four book series. It's starting to come together, though a lot of what I'm writing now will probably get scraped as it's more important at this stage to just get the right voice going. But, hey, look how much I've written!

This is the official blog of Sarra Manning, writer of Guitar Girl, Pretty Things, Let's Get Lost. the Fashionistas series, Nobody's Girl and the Diary Of A Crush trilogy. Also, Unsticky, Sarra's first novel for grown-up girls.
This blog will have regular postings from Sarra, answers to your questions, sneak previews of her forthcoming projects, competitions and a lot of ranting and raving about her current obsessions from Glee to obscure female Swedish singers and everything in between.

Le temps sont durs pour le rêveurs...

I write tawdry teen fiction and articles about fashion, celebrity and zeitgeisty trends. I wear Old Navy, Dorothy Perkins and Marc Jacobs. I was born 50 years too late and 50 years too soon. I have a rich, inner life. I live in London and on my wits. And I'm softer than my face would suggest...
But there are some things you need to know about me:
1. There will never be any more books in the Diary Of A Crush trilogy. READ THE DIARY OF A CRUSH LABELS BELOW TO FIND OUT WHY!
2. I can't reply to your messages if you don't have an active blogspot so I can leave comments.
3. My blog has all my latest news, including book releases. Also there are writing tips ALSO LABELLED BELOW!
4. If you're doing a book report, then Google is your friend. Just search my name. On the first page of your search, you will find pretty much everything you need.
Hope I don't sound too cranky, but as well as the book-writing, I'm a jobbing journalist and I hate to have a backlog of unanswered emails.